


Drowning in the Deep Blue

by super_sides_me



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Dubious Morality, Ex-pirate Virgil, M/M, Mentions of Death, Mermaid Patton, Mermaids, Near Death Experiences, Pirate Virgil, Suicidal Thoughts, Violence, prince roman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-10-11 21:18:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17454497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/super_sides_me/pseuds/super_sides_me
Summary: Before he even hit the water, Virgil thought he was dead. As the water filled his lungs, he closed his eyes and was sure he'd never open them again, but he was constantly proved wrong. He awoke on the shore of a town he'd never heard of and just as he peered out into the sea, he swore he saw what could only be described as a mermaid disappear under the surface. With no clue of where he was or how he got there, Virgil was determined to find out if what he saw was real or an illusion.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was debating for a long while on this and I finally decided to begin posting this story. I'm not sure how long it'll be, but it won't be extremely long. Hope you all enjoy!

Until Virgil was forced into the life of the sea, he lived a poor life of thievery and deception. It was safe to say not too much had changed. The only difference between then and now was that now he was on the water, watching the men and women, his friends, die around him from scurvy or wounds that couldn't be healed without a proper doctor. The only reason he was on this ship was because the captain saw him on land, stealing bread, fruit from nearby food stands and threatened to turn him in if he didn't go with them. At first, he thought joining the pirates was much better than any jail he could be thrown into, but he learned the hard way that being a pirate wasn't all the townsfolk made it up to be.

 

Those on land told of pirates who were either adventurers or sadists who destroyed every village they came across. Neither was completely true or false. They traveled the seas in hopes of adventure, in hopes of living a life different to what they had on land, but most of the time they found nothing. When drunk, a few of the men Virgil thought of as degenerates would terrorize some of the townspeople for fun, but they never destroyed much property or killed anyone. 'Only draw your sword on the enemy' was what his captain always said and those who didn't oblige by those rules were scum.

 

His captain was a good woman. Better than any of the crew. She kept them all together because God knows they could never survive without her. The crew was made up of fifteen males and six females, not including the captain, after the deaths of several members. Virgil was the newest addition, having only been there a year. They were on the ship most of that time. Rarely did they dock the ship at islands or populated towns. Virgil had felt sick from travel, but not nearly as sick as many of the other crew members.

 

Five people had died while three were in a critical condition. The captain didn't want to leave them to rot, so they were kept on the ship until they were able to dock. They were estimated to be about one month travel away from their destination where they would be able to rest for a while, put their dead to rest, and maybe find some medical attention for those who needed it. Tensions were high, though, and Virgil wasn't sure most of them would make it very long. Not only from illness, but from those very few who liked to pick fights. The captain had already threatened and thrown a man aboard for not obeying her rules and putting the others in danger, but still, he knew someone may snap and do something crazy.

 

During their passing time, the crew spoke of stories and legends. Those of past pirates, of treasures, and of creatures of the deep. There were talk of sirens and kraken, but the most popular among the men and woman had many names. Most of them referred to this creature as a mermaid. Some said there were only female ones while others claimed there were male mermaids as well. A few of the crew called them mermen, but many just kept the term mermaid. Some described them as beautiful and harmless, others as mesmerizing yet dangerous. Many stories have been passed about pirates who get too close to mermaids and are betrayed by them whether it be death by drowning or other means of manipulation.

 

Virgil didn't know if he believed any of these stories. Could there really be a creature made of pure evil, its only means to deceive and kill? If anything, wouldn't there be both good and evil mermaids as there are, in concept, good and evil humans? Wouldn't their actions have more meaning than pure instinct if they were similar to humans or could their supposed looks be deceiving in themselves? Human-like, but really the devil wearing a person's flesh?

 

He doubted he would ever meet a mermaid, even if they turned out to be true. In all the captain's years of sailing, she never once came across the creature nor any other myths that circled around. Virgil didn't think he would last more than a few years out at sea anyhow, so his chances of meeting such a creature were incredibly low, especially with the crew being slowly picked off by illness.

 

After their stories, Virgil went to sleep and would wake up again to the same routine. He cleaned, counted inventory, and practiced swordplay with a few others. The day passed by as usual until there was a bit of commotion from atop the deck. When Virgil was able to spot the ruckus, he saw one of the rowdy men with his sword to the throat of the captain. He'd gone off the deep end, close to death. Virgil wondered why the captain stayed still rather than fight back as she knew how. He couldn't hear what the bad man was spitting out, but it was vicious. No one made a move to do anything and neither did Virgil until he got a good look at the captain's face. She wasn't right in the mind. Something was wrong with her.

 

With a few quick steps and a loud, powerful voice, Virgil commanded, “Let the captain go, Samuel! You don't know what you're doing. You're delirious.”

 

Samuel turned to him with a bitter frown. “I ain't nothin', asshole. If you don't shut your mouth, I'll toss you overboard first and then when this bitch comes down after you, you can try to save her then.”

 

“You couldn't take me in a fight.” Virgil tried to stand his ground, but he was scared. Samuel was a strong man and there was no way he would be able to win against him without some luck. All he needed to do was get him away from the captain. That was priority.

 

“Oh, yeah?” Samuel tossed the captain to the side and her body hit the deck with a loud bang. She was completely out of it. He must have drugged her somehow.

 

“Yeah. In fact, I think I could knock your ass out with one punch.”

 

Samuel laughed and approached Virgil with heavy steps. “Go ahead and try, weakling.”

 

Virgil stared him down. Intimidation was his best tactic, but it wasn't very successful when he was terrified. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several of the crew members trying to stand the captain up and tend to her. Virgil let out a sigh of relief and locked eyes with Samuel. He reeled back his right fist, his other hand reaching to his side, and then swung with all of his strength, aiming for his nose. Samuel knocked his fist away and bent back Virgil's arm enough to break it. Virgil heard the snap of his arm and he screamed out in pain before it was cut off by Samuel's grasp on his throat. Just as he saw someone running up from behind Samuel, Virgil grabbed the sword he had ready in his left hand stabbed Samuel through the stomach. When Samuel let go of Virgil to clutch at his bleeding wound, he pushed Virgil backwards in anger.

 

Virgil felt victorious only for a split second as he stumbled before he felt his back hit the edge of the ship with too much force and he fell backwards into the ocean. He began to panic as the water surrounding him; it rendered him unable to swim himself back up to the surface. He was going in an out of consciousness already, water filling his lungs, his broken arm only a dull ache compared to the unbearable pain he felt from drowning. He wanted to call out for help, but who was there to help him halfway to the bottom of the ocean?

 

Just before darkness overtook him, Virgil saw Samuel's bloody body sinking down into the water above him.

 

-

 

Before he even hit the water, Virgil swore he was dead after only a year of being a pirate. He had no regrets other than that he'd never grown up to be the great man his mother had sworn him to be. Never in his life had he done something good or worthy of any praise.

 

He hadn't expected to open his eyes again, so when he forced his heavy eyelids open and saw the world again, he was beyond shocked. He was laying on land, faced toward the sky. He breathed for a moment and then looked to his left to see a dock that he assumed belonged to the large town behind it. When he looked to the right, he saw the sea and in it he swore he saw a creature with human torso and a fish's tail dive under the surface.

 


	2. Chapter 2

With no clue of where he was or if what he saw was real or an illusion of his mind, Virgil stood up on weak legs and walked himself into the town. He had no money, no weapon. Nothing but the wet clothes he wore. He remembered most of what occurred on the ship and a part of him was glad he was away from that life. He washed up on some random shore and there was no way the crew would ever find him. He was a lone wolf, once again back to his old ways.

 

He managed to swipe some bread off a rather wealthy-looking elderly woman and scarfed it down in an alleyway where he wouldn't be seen. The town was much like his old one, riddled with the poor and owned by the wealthy. From what he'd heard while listening in on conversations, the King and Queen lived just up north of town and often visited. Even their son strolled the streets, which Virgil couldn't even imagine in his old town. The prince must be a good fighter else he'd be dead by now, stabbed and mugged in the streets. Though, apparently the prince was out on a journey, taken by trusted men off by ship to explore.

 

Virgil snorted and shook his head. After what he'd been through, he didn't know what kind of rich idiot would willingly travel the seas for adventure. That was better left to the pirates who had nothing left going for them. He couldn't believe it when he'd first heard there were rich pirates out on the seas. If they were rich, what did they need to be out for? If Virgil was rich, especially if of royalty, he'd stay in his castle all day, protected by the guards and the walls without a worry in his life. Always fed, always entertained by books and people who you could pay to serve you. Life out on the sea, even life out in the town, was tough and he had to relive it all over again.

 

Virgil lived almost a month in town, not doing much of anything but surviving, wondering why he was still alive in the first place. He was underweight, dirty, and had a splitting headache that wouldn't go away, even if he sat by the sea at night and listened to the waves like he used to when he was young. The only place he felt even the slightest bit safe sleeping in were alleyways. He could guarantee at least one or two nights rest until he was shooed away and had to find somewhere else to lay. As for food, he stole whatever he could to get by. It wasn't a happy life or a proud one and no matter how much he wished his life would come to an end, he kept at it. He didn't truly want to die, no one did, but it was the only way he knew to get out of this hell that he'd lived over and over for years. But whenever he closed his eyes and hoped that someone might end his misery, he saw his mother on his eyelids and he knew he had to _try_ to live, even if he didn't want to.

 

Virgil was a good thief and an even better pickpocket. He tried not to steal from the poor, only those who looked wealthy enough that they could spare some coin or a little food from their plate. He knew what dirt poor felt like and he didn't need to hurt his own kind.

 

In Virgil's hometown, there were at least a dozen pickpockets, even more beggars, and over half of them were kids under the age of thirteen. In this new town, he'd only ever ran into a few, mostly teenagers who were either a little too sloppy or a little too good at what they did. He tried to help out when he could. He gave a little extra of whatever he had to the especially young kid. When he first arrived, he met them often during the nights and knew he became too attached, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling. He was only human. One day the kids just stopped showing up and Virgil had to tell himself that was just how life was on the streets. People came and went, all in similar conditions as him, and you didn't know where they went. Sometimes you found them, or rather their bodies, and other times they just disappeared like they never existed. Virgil had to be the one to hold on to their memory.

 

It hadn't even been a month and yet Virgil was run down, somehow both so pained and emotionally numb that he didn't cry, only felt it within.

 

Virgil laid awake at night thinking about the figure he saw and wondered where it was. He wondered if it was his imagination and if it wasn't, had he truly seen a mermaid? If it was a mermaid and it had helped him, then why? Why him? He wanted so badly to meet the mermaid if it was real, to ask why, but he had high doubts. The only thing he had to go on was his own sight, the sight of a man just awoken after he nearly drowned. It could have been a dolphin or nothing at all. It wasn't something he could let go, though, so he constantly thought about it, trying to remember more and more details about that day. He remembered some of it, but most of it was blurry. He remembered a fight, falling in the water, and then darkness.

 

For weeks he kept going over it, occasionally little details popped out, but it was never anything important. Only minute things that he would have been better off never remembering.

 

It wasn't until he yanked himself out of the grip of an angry shopkeeper that he'd realized something crucial in removing any doubt he had in himself. Back at the ship, in the middle of the fight, he'd gotten his arm broken, twisted back and snapped back by that fucker, Samuel. It hurt like hell at the time, but ever since he awoke, his arm had been fine. No pain, no distortion. It was completely usable. He wondered if he'd made up the broken arm in the struggle, but came to the conclusion that it had to be true. He heard the bone crack, felt it split open within him the pain unbearable, and he knew it was no mere twist.

 

Then he thought back to the creature again. Did that mean that the mermaid was truly real? That alone came with so many mother questions. Why would it have been there to help him out of all the water in the sea? If their paths did so happen to cross and the possibility of what he was thinking was true, that would mean the mermaid saved him, healed him even, like one of the stories he'd heard. Why would it do that? Could it be that it was waiting for him to the come back to sea, so it could use him for its own purposes. If it were true, he would now be in debt with the creature, wouldn't he?

 

Or...maybe the less popular of the stories were right and mermaids were gentle, kind creatures who helped those in need. There had been stories of those who were tossed aboard turning up on islands far away, completely unscathed, hunger being their biggest worry.

 

With this new thought on his mind, Virgil wondered if there was anyone who could help him, whether it be to find any validation in his thoughts or to plan his next actions if what he saw was, in fact, a mermaid. There were books at the library in town that he could look for. With any luck, he could find some true stories on mermaids and find out what to do. He couldn't keep living the way he was, always tired, always hungry, always fighting. He needed something else, even something as hopeless as this, to distract him from the life he lived. Maybe he would find that was a greater mystery to be solved.

 

He traveled to the library at the edge of town after cleaning himself up the best he could in a nearby river. He was dirty, hadn't changed clothes since he'd been on land and even before then, for a few days. He hadn't slept anywhere but the ground either. If he didn't want to be tossed out, he'd need to look like a regular peasant rather than a dirty scoundrel, so he cleaned all the dirt he could, even off of his clothes. He spent a whole day sitting in a secluded area in the nude, waiting for the clothes to dry, so he could wear something not completely covered in grime. Those who owned the library were likely rich and wouldn't take to kindly to him otherwise.

 

When he opened the door, he noticed it was mostly empty with the exception of a few scholars. He wasn't going to ask any of them for directions to certain sections of books, so he started the search on his own, sure to keep out of the way of the more wealthy. When he reached a far corner on the upper floor, he found a section dedicated to mythical creatures divided into categories. There were half a dozen shelves dedicated to the sea alone. He picked out a few that looked to be more reliable and gathered them in his arms to take to a secluded area to read over.

 

“Excuse me, sir.”

 

Virgil heard the voice of a man, likely a scholar he'd seen earlier, from behind him. His eyes grew wide. He didn't dare turn around to face the man. He wouldn't have looked very good to someone like him. He barely passed as the working man. There was huge bags under his eyes and dirt that wouldn't quite come off with the river water. Up close, he was sure it would be easier to tell. He glanced over his shoulder and replied with a rather hostile, “What is it?”

 

“You seem to be gathering quite the collection of books there.” The man peeked around his shoulder. “Mermaids. Do you have a fascination with them?”

 

“Is that really any of your business, _sir_?” He spoke, mockingly. He wouldn't wait for the man to make a fool of him.

 

“I would say it is.” The man spoke, no change in his expression. “I've studied many things in my time and never have I come across someone as eager to learn about such a bizarre topic. Mermaids...as if, maybe, you've come into contact with something you can't quite explain?”

 

When Virgil turned to look at the man, he saw a knowing grin on his face. “Who are you?”

 

After examining Virgil, the man held out his hand. “My name is Logan. I'm a researcher. I study the curiosities of the world and try to find answers for them.”

 

Virgil eyed him and then shook his hand. “I'm Virgil,” he said. “Do you always approach strangers?”

 

“Like I said, I've never seen someone so eager to learn about a myth. You must have a story.” Logan looked as if he knew something about Virgil that not even he himself knew. He must think he's right to assume Virgil has had any encounters with mermaids.

 

“I...”

 

“Hold that thought.” Logan grabbed a few of the books from Virgil. “Before you can reject me, let me make a proposition for you. If you agree, we'll sit down, you'll tell me every detail of your experience, and I'll invite you to my house to clean yourself, get a change of clothes, and I'll even make you dinner. You look like you've seen better days. Or maybe you haven't. I've seen you on the streets before, watched you snatch some coin from a young gentleman's pocket. What a miserable life you've been leading.”

 

From anyone else, Virgil would have taken offense, but this guy didn't seem like he was trying to be a dick. It was just in his nature. He huffed and agreed reluctantly. “Fine.”

 

“Good. Then let's-”

 

“But,” Virgil interrupted him with a stern look, “If you even think about trying to deceive me, I can and will find a way to end your life.”

 

“Noted.” Logan said simply with a nod and then made his way to a table, Virgil closely behind.

 

Virgil told Logan a less detailed version of the story, without the specifics of people or circumstance. He was abroad a ship, he fell in the water, and when he awoke, he thought he saw a creature dive below the water.

 

Logan hummed at his story and thought for a moment. “Is that all?”

 

Virgil thought of withholding this other information, but as much as he wanted to, he couldn't think of a reason why he should. “Well...right before I fell from the ship, I broke my arm in an accident, but when I woke up, it was completely healed.”

 

“You're sure you broke your arm?”

 

“What kind of question is that? Of course I'm sure.” He'd thought about it enough times to know that he wasn't just crazy.

 

“Interesting.” Logan murmured. He stood up and left, but quickly returned with a map. Virgil recognized the map. He'd read one very similarly to it many times. “Could you tell me approximately where you were when you were abroad the ship?”

 

Virgil nodded and pointed to an approximation of the location they were at. “And we were headed here.” He said, pointing to another location just up north.

 

“Very interesting.”

 

“What? What's very interesting?”

 

“Well,” He began. “You say you were here when you fell from the ship,” He said, pointing to the area again. “However, where you are currently is here.” He pointed far down south, what must have been at least a hundred miles from where he'd been left in the water.

 

“What?” Virgil's eyes widened and he took the map for himself. “How am I not dead?”

 

“Maybe that mermaid or whatever creature it was you saw really did save you. That or you've got very good luck.” He said and took the map back. “But here's the thing, Virgil. I don't believe in luck.”

 

“So you think...?”

 

“You aren't insane, that's for sure. I think there's something more to all this and I'm willing to help you find out what it is. Who knows what we could discover?” Logan stood up, taking the books with him. “Now, I say we check out these books and do a little research ourselves before doing anything rash. I wouldn't want you getting hurt over experimenting with these kinds of creatures. If they do exist, we could run into something awfully bad.” He went over to the shelves and pulled out a few more books on various creatures and handed them to Virgil. “Best to be prepared.”

 

Virgil nodded and watched Logan go to check out the books. It seemed like now he'd have a partner in all this. He didn't know what they'd find or if they'd even find anything. If they did, he hoped it would be the mermaid he saw on that day.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few weeks, the two men researched as much as they could about the creature. Virgil knew that Logan didn't take too kindly too him at first after finding out his background as a pirate, but they both knew they had no other choice if they wanted to find out what he saw. Virgil practically lived at Logan's house after staying the first night between research and bare necessities. He bathed and was fed as promised and that was enough for him. Logan wasn't the richest man on the planet by far, but, contrary to how his house looked, he had wealth to his name. Most of that wealth went into his library, a large collection of books and documents detailing events, people, places, myths, time periods, and anything else that Logan was interested in.

 

Virgil found out quite a bit about Logan, more than he'd expected. Logan was not originally from this town. He'd traveled for miles in hopes of finding the castle to impress the royal family and impress he did. He claimed that his research was funded by the King and Queen their selves. They allowed him to study and relay them information about his findings every month. If they were happy with what he found, they would continue to fund him. He wasn't owned by the royal family by any means, but without them, he'd have no income and no way of doing his research.

 

Virgil...hadn't quite expected that. Honestly, he'd thought Logan was a mediocre researcher at best, not of top quality. He never would have thought the man to be known and even liked by the King and Queen. Not that it meant much to him. In his opinion, social or political status, even that or royalty meant very little, but it must have been a motivator and a confidence booster to Logan. Virgil thought he deserved it, given he let a stranger, a pirate at that, into his house. Even though Logan did hope to get something out of it, he showed him kindness where many others did not and that was what put him above the rest.

 

They made slow progress on their research. The most they had were books from the local library, though Logan was able to snag a few from the castle during one of his monthly visits. Trying to pick out what was more likely to be truth out of the mixture of lies from made up stories was hard when there were so many of them, but they were progressing, at the very least.

 

Logan almost always had his head in a book, especially the longer ones or the ones with smaller words that Virgil had a hard time reading. In between book readings, Logan prepared all meals of the day. Even when Virgil tried to help out, Logan insisted that he was fine by himself. Rather than cooking, Virgil found his pleasures in cleaning. He organized shelves, dusted, cleaned the fire place, and did whatever he could to keep the place clean. It was his only duty and he took pride in it.

 

The only time in his life that he lived in a house was when he was very little, too young to know anything about the world he was thrust into after his family was thrown from their house. To have a home, one he could truly call his, was astounding. He was cautious at first. He never knew what the lines were, the barriers between being a guest and getting just a little too comfortable, but as long as Logan didn't stop him, he kept going a little farther every day. When Logan told him that the spare room was now his own to live in and decorate as he pleased, he nearly cried, but held the tears back and instead gave Logan a tight hug that they both loathed yet found comfort in. Even through the semi-awkward hug, Logan found the place to smile and tell him he was glad they were partners, which was as much as you could expect from a man like him.

 

As the days passed and turned to weeks and eventually just over a month, they were beginning to hit a bit of a dry patch. All the books they read were generally the same. The same stories, same myths, same 'facts' that everyone held in high regard. Logan tried to talk to some merchants about any new books in circulation, but there was nothing that anyone knew of. Virgil, on the other hand, listened around for any gossip, but only came back with the same drunken tales that he'd heard aboard the ship. He was quickly losing hope, but Logan would be there with subtle encouragements that kept him going.

 

One day, Logan came home with, what he thought was, exciting news. “Virgil, put down the book and listen to this.” He sat down across the table from Virgil, his hands folded in front of him to help him contain his excitement. “The prince came back from his voyage today.”

 

“So?” Virgil didn't think Logan was so interested in what the prince was doing, not with the stories Logan had told him about their interactions. The prince was supposedly too prideful and a little condescending, which wasn't surprising to Virgil. He was a prince, after all.

 

“That isn't the whole story. Why would I be happy that the prince is back?” He snorted, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard, but then continued on. “There's rumors that he came in contact with a mermaid.”

 

“Really?” Virgil raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his drink. He wasn't believing it. “You know it could be fake, right?”

 

“Well, of course, but I just thought it was interesting, considering what you've been through and we haven't heard a new mermaid tale in a while. We should give it a try, at the very least. If it is true, well...”

 

“Well, what?”

 

“Well, he could have some good information. Maybe.” When Virgil didn't say anything, Logan leaned in and spoke in a softer voice. “Look, this guy may be an idiot, but he's genuine. If the story he tells doesn't aid us, then so be it, but if there's any sort of value in it...we may be able to progress further after all.”

 

Virgil nodded, trying to find any way this could go wrong, but he couldn't find any. “I guess you're right. I thought you hated the prince, though.”

 

Logan hummed. “Hate is a strong word. I wouldn't say I _hate_ him, but in all truth, Roman does take some getting used to.”

 

“Prince Roman, huh?” Virgil sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Can you make a meeting with him?”

 

“Maybe. Though I have a feeling he'll be on his way shortly.”

 

-

 

“So you've been sending our information to the King?”

 

“Of course I have. Don't give me that look.” Logan sighed. “It's literally my job.”

 

“Yeah, I know. I shouldn't be surprised. Doesn't mean I can't not like it.” Virgil didn't like people knowing about him or about anything that had to do with him. If someone like the King knew even the smallest details about him, that information could be spread like the plague, except the only one it would kill is him.

 

“You should be grateful. It will save us much trouble of trying to contact the prince and set up a meeting at the castle.”

 

“Yeah, and how do you know that?”

 

“Oh, trust me. I've examined Roman thoroughly and I know nearly everything there is to know about him.”

 

Virgil stared at him a moment and then smirked “That's gotta be one of the strangest things to ever come out of your mouth.”

 

“What do you mean?” Logan paused and then finally it dawned on him and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “You know that isn't what I meant.”

 

“Thoroughly.” Virgil laughed.

 

“ _Virgil-”_

 

There was a knock on the door and the both of them quieted. They waited briefly until there was a voice from the other side.

 

“It's Prince Roman.” Called the voice. He definitely sounded like a prince. “I know you're there, Logan and company.”

 

Logan rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. Somehow, even though he knew he was coming, he didn't seem very prepared to see the prince. He walked over to the door and opened it. “Welcome.” He said, plainly.

 

“Hello to you, Logan.” Roman greeted with a smile and then turned to Virgil and bowed his head. “And to you as well. I believe you're Virgil?”

 

Virgil looked to Logan and then to Roman. “Uh, yeah. That's me.” He said, a little bit uncomfortable. He never liked royalty.

 

“Ah, yes. The mysterious case.” Roman nodded, eyeing him.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Well, you saw a mermaid, right? Or, you think you did? I, for one, know exactly what I saw.” He said, looking proud. Virgil understood what Logan meant by he takes some 'getting used to'.

 

“Oh, yeah?” Virgil stood up, trying to do what he did best. Intimidate or at least make himself seem like he was a force not to be reckoned with. “And what exactly did this mermaid look like?” He asked. He expected Roman to cower and stutter out some bullshit, but instead, Roman kept his tall composure and smiled.

 

“Well, Virgil, I'll tell you.” He seemed to be sizing Virgil up, just as Virgil was doing to him. Though Virgil was thrown off if just the smallest bit, he kept his ground. Logan watched from the side, amused, drinking some tea. “The mermaid was about the size of a human with a long, beautiful fish tail. The tale was different shades of yellow and green, the skin of the creature a light brown. It even had breasts as a human might. It had short, blonde hair atop its head and purple eyes. I only saw it for a brief moment before the beauty disappeared into the ocean, never to be seen again.”

 

Logan snorted and mumbled an almost jealous, “Dramatic.”

 

Roman raised his eyebrows to Logan and then turned his attention back to Virgil, the pride keen in his eye. “What about you?”

 

Virgil's stance fell slightly at this. Why was he asking? He must have read what Logan wrote about him. “I had just woken up,” he started, “My vision was blurry, but I could tell the creature had short, brown hair. Its tail was a shade of light blue.” He paused, trying to remember more. From all the time he'd spent thinking about that moment, he could never get all the details straight. “Flat chest, no breasts. Light skin, similar in tone to your own and...” He thought harder, straining himself, but he couldn't remember anything else, if there was anything else to remember. He'd only seen the face of the creature for a split second and no details of the facial structure stood out. “It looked human, besides the tail.”

 

Roman nodded slowly. “It saved you, correct?”

 

“We think so.”

 

“Alright...Then I might have a plan.”

 

“What? What plan?” Virgil was surprised, but also taken aback.

 

“No.” Logan said, cutting off whatever Roman could say. “No plan.”

 

“Why?” Roman asked, frowning.

 

“What plan?” Virgil interjected.

 

“Because I said so.” Logan answered Roman harshly, ignoring Virgil.

 

“You're such a stick in the mud.” Roman crossed his arms.

 

“What plan?” Virgil insisted.

 

Logan glared at Roman. “And you're a moron. Your plan, without a doubt, is going to be something I disapprove of.”

 

“Rude.” Roman huffed.

 

“Hello?” Virgil tried to get their attention.

 

“Rude, but correct one-hundred percent of the time.” Logan said, smugly.

 

“Hey, guys. Shut the fuck up!” Virgil raised his voice, tired of being ignored. “You.” He pointed to Roman. “Tell me your plan, stupid or not, and you,” He pointed to Logan, thinking of something harsh to say, but instead his voice lowered back to normal and just said, “Quiet.”

 

Roman grinned like he won, even though Virgil was pretty sure he was the one who won in this scenario, and began to tell them his plan. His logic was pretty simple. If the mermaid really did save Virgil once, then if the mermaid thought he was in danger again, it might save him...again. So, all they needed to do was put Virgil in fake danger.

 

“How do we do that?” Virgil asked, curious.

 

“I can dress up to hide myself. I'm a prince, so...you know.” He gestured towards himself and then continued. “Then I'll pretend to push you into the ocean, near the docks, and the mermaid will save you again because it obviously loves you and then you've met your mermaid savior slash lover!”

 

Virgil stared at him, wondering if anything else stupid would come out of his mouth, when Logan spoke.

 

“Absolutely not.” Logan said, shaking his head.

 

“Why?” Roman pouted.

 

“Because you would be putting Virgil in danger.”

 

“He won't be in any danger! If the mermaid doesn't come while he's pretend-dying then we'll just pluck him out of the water!” Roman insisted, making a plucking motion with his hands.

 

“Or,” Logan emphasized. “he'll be pulled away by the tide and he'll drown and die.”

 

Virgil gulped, his eyes widening. The word 'drown' didn't settle very well with him.

 

Roman sighed dramatically. “No, he won't. Why are you such a downer?”

 

“I'm just being realistic.”

 

“You mean pessimistic.”

 

Logan sighed. “Virgil?” He asked, looking for his opinion.

 

Virgil looked between the two of them, thinking of the possibilities. He was absolutely terrified of being submerged in the water once again, at the mercy of the sea. Nearly dying once was enough. He didn't need to relive it, but if there was even the smallest chance he might see that mermaid again...he had to try. He straightened up and nodded. “I'll do it.”

 

“Yes!” Roman cheered. “In your face, Logan.”

 

Logan sighed exasperatedly. “Fine, then. In all of this, I'll be observing from the side, taking notes. If I think Virgil is in danger, I'm going after him whether the plan has been completed or not, got it?”

 

“Yes, sir.” Roman said, halfheartedly.

 

The next day, their plan would commence.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Virgil waited by the docks and looked out into the sea. It’d been quite a while since he’d been on a ship and he couldn’t say he necessarily missed it. Though he did occasionally think about the nice people from his crew who he’d gotten close to, the pain that came with the travel was too much to bear for long. He hadn't enjoyed being in the town at first, but once he met Logan, everything really started to come together for him, one way or another. He considered Logan a friend now and he could tell how much Logan liked Roman despite his demeanor, so he was sure he’d come to like him, too, even if just a little bit.

 

Virgil heard the footsteps behind him and assumed it was Roman. He peeked back and saw the man in a cloak. He had no idea where Roman even found it, but it hid his face well, so any onlookers wouldn't be able to tell it was him. They did their staged act, all to convince the mermaid they weren’t even completely sure was watching.

 

The two men pretended to argue, some tale about a betrayal and a common love interest, and then Roman reached out a candlestick from his cloak and swung it at Virgil’s head just hard enough to make a light thudding noise. Virgil closed his eyes and fell back into the water. He must have screwed up somehow when he stepped back because his ankle hurt, like it'd been twisted from a misstep. Ignoring the potential injury, Virgil held his breath the best he could and let himself sink, his body dragged little by little away from shore. He tried not to panic, his heart racing already, but it was hard when he was literally sinking down toward the bottom of the sea. He feared his hurt ankle would inhibit him from being able to swim, but tried to convince himself it was okay. As long as he didn't try to breathe, he would be fine for the short amount of time he was under.

 

Only seconds passed, but he was ready to give up, swim upward, and look for Logan in the distance to give him the signal that the mermaid didn't show up. Before he could move, though, he felt two arms wrap around his middle and pull him up to the surface. He kept still, as to not alert whoever was holding him, only glad he could now breath as he pleased. He felt himself being dragged through the water quickly, only his head above. He was laid flat on a surface, what must have been land.

 

He thought his savior left until he felt a hand on his forehead and soft fingers brush across his cheek. The fingers brushed back his bangs, a soft hands cupped his cheek, and then a soothing voice started to sing a short, melodic song. Virgil felt immensely at peace. His body felt calm and his ankle even stopped hurting. There was nothing else he wanted to do in that moment other than keep close to the entity beside him and happily rest.

 

Instead of resting, he slowly opened his eyes and he saw what he recognized as the face of the creature who helped him that day two months ago. When the creature saw that he'd opened his eyes, it quickly turned around to dive back under the water, but Virgil stopped it with a, “Wait!”

 

The mermaid, to Virgil’s surprise, stopped and looked at him from where it was, upper half of its body above water, lower half below. Its brown eyes were wide and frightened. Its features that of a young man not much older than himself.

 

Virgil didn’t know what to do. He’d stopped the creature, but for what purpose? “I...” He started, speechless. He stared at it for a while. The mermaid was beautiful, just as described in all the stories. Somehow so human, but so otherworldly breathtaking. “What...what’s your name?” He finally asked.

 

The mermaid’s expression changed from fear to confusion and maybe...hope? It opened its mouth and, in a soft voice, it said, “Patton.”

 

“I’m Virgil.” He said, still amazed by what was really in front of him. When Patton smiled, he wanted to reach out and touch the creature's face. He just wanted contact with it. He wanted it to be comfortable around him. He wanted to know everything about it. The one thing he didn’t want was for it to disappear again. They only stared at each other, not saying a word. Then, Virgil realized he wanted to thank the mermaid for saving his life, but before he could open his mouth, Patton’s eyes widened for a split second and the mermaid dove back underwater, leaving his sight.

 

“No, wait!” Virgil crawled to the water’s edge and looked into the sea, but he couldn’t see below the surface. He sat back and cursed. He was finally able to see the mermaid, to talk to it, but it was over all too quickly. It wasn’t until he heard the footsteps behind him that he realized Patton had left because there was someone in the area. This creature, Patton, it—he, maybe, was real and Virgil wanted to spend more time together, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever see that innocent face again.

 

Virgil sulked for a while and then stood up and looked at his surroundings. He was near the other side of town. Had Patton really swam so far in such a short amount of time? Virgil jogged back to Logan’s house, but found no one there, so be checked around the docks. No sign of them. He became worried the longer it took to find them,but after persisting in his search, he finally saw Logan and Roman, out of costume, searching the coast and surrounding water. Logan seemed to be upset, yelling at Roman. Virgil quickly went over to them. “Guys! I’m here, I’m fine!”

 

The two men turned to him and sighed with relief.

 

“Thank goodness.” Logan said, putting a hand to his chest. “We thought you’d been taken away. I saw it grab you and I thought for sure it...”

 

Roman looked at Virgil like was about to cry...which was kind of awkward for Virgil considering they didn’t really know each other and he really didn’t feel like hugging anyone. Thankfully, Roman just pretended he was completely unaffected by the whole thing. “My plan worked!” He said, trying to sound happy.

 

“It did.” Virgil nodded and suddenly became more excited once he remembered what had just happened. “I talked to the mermaid!” He smiled. “Patton.”

 

“What?” Logan asked, furrowing his brow.

 

“Patton.” He repeated. “His name is Patton.”

 

“It has a name!?” Roman exclaimed.

 

“It has a name?” Logan hummed to himself and thought for a moment. “Well, let’s go back to my house. You can describe the whole thing, so I can log it. I don’t exactly trust having private conversation on these streets.”

 

Virgil nodded and looked back at the water one last time, hoping to see Patton there, but all he saw was the never-ending sea.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Virgil told Logan everything that happened, which wasn’t very much in the end, but it was more than they ever expected to find. They were able to discard a lot of the false information now as they sorted through all of their notes. Things such as sharp, pointed teeth or pure black eyes couldn't be a true feature of mermaids because Patton didn’t have either of those. Patton had beautiful brown eyes, filled to the brim with emotion. The features recorded in the books they'd found must have been a myth created by those who despised mermaids and thought them to be evil. They'd never truly seen a mermaid like Virgil or Roman had.

 

The songs, or incantations as Logan had called them, weren't entirely new. There were very few accounts that mentioned a melody, though half of them were with the intent to be to lure men and women into the sea to drown them. Much like other stories, they made mermaids out to be malevolent. These incantations were said to be in a completely different language, one not known to mankind, but Virgil was pretty sure that the one he heard Patton sing was in English. He could understand the lyrics clear as day, though he could only remember a few words: fix, heal, and prosper. It was definitely a healing incantation.

 

Logan wrote this information down, including a question mark next to 'English.' Not because he didn't believe Virgil, he clarified, but because he didn't know if it was the only language the mermaid could speak. It was very unlikely.

 

Even though they had some sound information, they didn't have very much. The King and Queen were as open-minded as they were skeptical. If their son said he'd seen a mermaid, they would believe that he wasn't hallucinating, but for them to truly believe it was a mermaid, they needed more solid detail. Logan didn't need to provide sources for his information, though he recorded all his information in an organized manner and shared only what he thought he needed to. As per a request from Virgil, Logan refrained from giving full detail about Virgil in his later reports. Or, rather, Virgil trusted him enough that he would assume Logan was doing as he pleased.

 

Going forward, Virgil had only one thing in mind. He wanted to see Patton again. He didn't make that completely known. He didn't want Logan to think he had an obsession with the mermaid, though he wasn't sure that would be too far from the truth. There was something that pulled him towards Patton. Right as their eyes met, some hole within him was filled, but as soon as the mermaid's figure disappeared beneath the waves, he felt empty once again. His thoughts were flooded by Patton, things he'd never thought about anyone before. He longed for the sound of his voice, the softness of his touch, and the warmth of his embrace. It was almost scary. Overwhelming.

 

But he didn't tell anyone about these feelings, not even Roman who was practically anticipating a mermaid wedding. As far as Logan knew, Virgil's motivation for interacting with Patton was both human curiosity and gratitude for being saved. He thought Virgil idolized Patton for rescuing him from the brink of death and healing his wounds with a song. Idolization was only a minuscule fraction of what he felt when he thought of Patton.

 

Feelings aside, they needed to get information if Logan were to keep his job. They all agreed that the best way to get correct information was to get it straight from Patton’s mouth. With that, Logan could say in his official reports that he had the conversation with the mermaid rather than Virgil and get some direct quotes from the source. Logan suggested that their best course of action was for Virgil try to find and speak with the mermaid near the shore, where he might still be lingering. Virgil was quick to agree to this plan, if only because he wanted to see Patton again as soon as possible to ease this emotional pain. It was inexplicable, the feeling he felt when he laid eyes on Patton, and the sorrow he felt when he disappeared again.

 

In the end, their plan wasn't much of a plan at all. Virgil would go to the shore and pray that Patton came to him. Roman and Logan had no part in it, though Virgil promised he would tell Logan everything that was said and done, with some direct quotes, if he could remember.

 

The day following his first real meeting with Patton, Virgil prepared to head to a spot that Logan himself had picked out for him. There was a path that lead under a rocky cliff, towards a secluded area of rocks and water. It was on the opposite side of the dock, where not many people traversed and if anyone showed up, the cliff should hide them from the public view. If Virgil waited there and Patton did showed up, they could have their time together with no interruptions.

 

Virgil didn't bring much with him on the first day. Only a light snack to keep him satiated for a while, but he knew it would take hours if not days or weeks for Patton to appear again. This first day was mostly a test and a hopeful shot in the dark that Patton truly was still close by.

 

Carefully, Virgil crossed over the rocks and found a nice area to sit under the shade of the cliff. It was noon, so the sun shone bright on the town, but the small, rocky area was dark and easy on the eyes and skin. He looked out at the water, watching for any shadows, any movement that could be a sign of Patton. The sea was beautiful, as always. He sat with his legs crossed, the water gently pulling in and then pushing out in waves. The sound of the ocean was calming and even an anxious person like him couldn't help but feel relaxed, soothed by nature. Though memories of harsh waves, sickness, and death loomed over him from his short time on a ship, the memories of his early childhood washed away the bad thoughts and brought in cheerful ones. Just like the sea, those memories calmed him more and more with every wave of happiness.

 

Virgil learned long ago that with every bout of happiness, anxiety was soon to follow. After hours of sitting on the rock, not once had Patton shown himself. Though he hadn't had very much faith that they would meet again soon, he tried as hard as he could to hold on to some hope. His body was aching from the hardness of his seat and the cold began to seep into his clothes as the sun set. He tried to ignore the little voice in his head that told him to move on, that he would never see his mermaid again, and instead waited. Even after he'd eaten his snack and his hunger started to set in and even once it became night and the darkness began to consume him, he waited. He needed to see Patton again.

 

Virgil pulled his knees close to his chest, trying to retain his warmth. With a shaky voice, he called out, “Patton?” He didn't get a response, not that he expected one. “I want to see you, if you’re there,” he continued, “We didn’t get to talk much last time and...it should be safe here.” He waited again, trying to listen for the sound of Patton’s tail in the water, but there was nothing. He folded his arms over his knees and rested his chin on them. He sighed, the last of his calm fading away. Now, he only felt loneliness.

 

With no sign of the mermaid and his stomach twisting in unbearable hunger, he straightened himself up and stood, his sight still on the sea. Before he left, he trailed his eyes over the dark abyss of the sea and whispered, “I’ll come back tomorrow. I promise.”

 

-

 

Virgil kept his word. He came back the next day and sat in that same spot. He was more prepared this time, with a little more food and an extra coat for when the cold night hit. Logan scolded him the night before after he arrived home with a growling stomach and a shiver that wouldn't stop until he was wrapped in warm blankets. He waited and waited, rationing his food throughout the day. The longer he could last in the night, the better. He'd do anything as long as he was able to meet Patton once again. He stayed until the sun set and began to rise again, clutching to consciousness, so he wouldn't fall asleep and possibly miss what he was anxiously waiting for.

 

Patton still didn't come.

 

Day after day, Virgil continued this routine. He never gave up, even when spirits were low. Patton would come back, he told himself, and he believed it. He had to. He couldn't think that Patton didn't want to see him or that those two times he saved him were only a fluke. He saw the look on Patton's face when they met. There was something more there, some kind of yearning for contact. Maybe Patton wasn’t around anymore and he'd left days ago or maybe he was too afraid to approach the shore again. Whatever the case, Virgil kept coming back.

 

When Virgil told Logan of his lack of success, Logan thought that he might be testing Virgil loyalties while Roman was still convinced this was some kind of love story between him and Patton.

 

Every day for weeks, right after he would woke up, Virgil would aid Logan in research by organizing notes or reading through a few books that Roman was able to buy from travelers. After that small portion of his morning was done, he would sit and chat with his two friends until he was ready to leave for the town to buy something to eat and then head back to that same spot to wait for Patton. It became his routine and though the disappointment wore him down, he grew more comfortable with the routine each passing day. His surroundings became more familiar and he even began to dip his legs into the water as he waited, growing more accustomed to the sea. No longer did he have nightmares of sinking down to the bottom in a painful death.

 

Sitting there for long days, he remembered more about the happier times in his youth when his mother would bring him to the shore. He would collect shells and reach into the water, hoping to find something until his mother pulled him back. She feared for his safety and he understood now more than ever just how dangerous the sea was, but he also knew how tantalizingly pretty it was. The soft crash of the waves mixed with the beautiful horizon as the sun set made Virgil wish he could stay there forever. Even with his newer fear of drowning, he didn't stray away from the sea. He didn't want to go in it, not again, not after Roman's plan. That was the last time for now. The farthest he would go into the water was up to his ankles. Though deep down he thought that maybe if he did submerge himself once again, Patton would come to his rescue, he was too afraid to take the chance, so he waited.

 

Most of his time was spent waiting for Patton, but he didn't let it discourage him too much nor did it let it interfere with the friendship he had with Logan. In fact, they enjoyed the time alone because it only made their friendship stronger. As for Roman, he stopped by, mostly to keep Logan company while Virgil was away. Virgil's mouth curled into a light smile as he sat on his usual rock, thinking about his two new friends. Yes, Roman too.

 

A few months ago he would've been filled with misery and some of that pain was still within him. He still thought about those harsh, lonely nights and the people he'd lost, but the hope and anticipation for the future outweighed his sadness. He needed to be strong and he needed to believe for just once that everything would work out.

 

It was hard to be optimistic about a future that seemed so dull and unlikely. His ex-captain, a woman he looked up to greatly, had never seen a mermaid before and though he was twenty years younger than her and had little adventure in his life, he'd met the same mermaid twice. He wasn't sure whether it was luck or something else, but he only hoped that whatever it was, it wasn't running out any time soon.

 

It was when Virgil started to lose faith that Patton finally came to him. He sat, eating a piece of dried meat when he heard an odd swishing sound and then Patton’s head slowly emerged from the water. He looked up at Virgil, who couldn’t believe what was in front of him.

 

“Patton.” Virgil breathed out, unable to help the smile that came across his face. He wanted to reach for the mermaid and wrap him in a tight hug. He was so happy. “You’re here.”

 

Patton nodded, but didn’t speak a word. He seemed unsure.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked, his happiness replaced with worry.

 

Patton nodded again.

 

“Where have you been?” Virgil looked him up and down, trying to figure out what was going through the mermaid's mind.

 

Patton's eyes met Virgil's for only a moment before his sight went elsewhere. “Here.” He spoke quietly.

 

“You’ve been here?” He slid closer to the edge of the rock, trying to get as close as possible. “Why didn’t you come out?” He asked as softly as possible. He completely broke down the intimidating front that he used so often, afraid that he might scare him away otherwise.

 

Patton’s mouth opened and then closed. He pressed his lips together. He spoke wearily. “They...we...don’t talk to your kind.”

 

“My kind? You mean humans?”

 

Patton nodded.

 

“Why?” Virgil thought he already knew the answer. Who would like humans after everything they've done? He had no doubt in his mind that there were a group of people who hunted mermaids for fun, though...he couldn't say for sure there weren't a mermaid equivalent of these humans who lured innocents into the sea for fun.

 

“My dad,” Patton started, “And the others. They say humans are bad and they...” He trailed off, looking uncomfortable. “It’s forbidden.” He flinched as he said the latter word.

 

“Forbidden? By who?”

 

“Everyone. They say that if we like humans, it will end in our demise. They say humans are,” he hesitated, “evil and if we...if I...” He was getting choked up, unable to speak properly.

 

“Patton.” Virgil said to get his attention. He held out his hand to him. “It’s okay.” He said, giving him a reassuring smile, a smile that hadn't formed in years.

 

Patton looked to Virgil and it was only then that he noticed the tears in Patton’s eyes. He eyed Virgil cautiously and slowly moved closer to him until he was just in front of where his feet dipped into the water. Patton reached out his hand and put it in Virgil’s. For a short moment, their skin touched, Virgil’s heat mixing with Patton’s icy cold skin, but as soon as their fingers met, Patton pulled his hand away with a gasp and stared up at Virgil.

 

Virgil could only ever describe Patton’s state as innocent and full of wonder of unexplored possibilities. They felt the same way. They were so unsure, but desired nothing other than each other's company. He looked back down at Patton, waiting for him to make his move. When Patton reached his hand back up, Virgil took it in a gentle grasp, cherishing this moment they had together. He didn't care for the research. The reason he was there was for this. For Patton.

 


	6. Chapter 6

They sat in near silence together, their hands intertwined, content even if it was a little uncomfortable. Virgil's arm was hanging down, holding onto Patton's hand, which he held up out of the water. It probably looked more uncomfortable than it felt and it _was_ uncomfortable, but it was more than that. For whatever reason, it put both of them at ease to have this contact with one another. It felt...warm. In a fuzzy kind of way. He didn't want to let go.

 

This was their first time actual sitting together in each other's presence and only one of the few times he'd seen Patton. Virgil didn't know if Patton had watched him from a distance on occasion. He had stayed near the shore, so it was a possibility, but for Virgil, this was the first time he'd seen him since...a while. He'd waited and waited and finally what he'd hoped for had become a reality. The happiness was almost numbing.

 

A few times Patton had spoken, mostly about their surroundings. He enjoyed the area as much as Virgil did and the sea, though his home, still was beautiful in Patton's eye. Virgil could tell by the tone in his voice, the happiness he heard, along with something almost sad that barely passed through, so suppressed that he almost didn't see it. But Virgil knew unhappiness and he could recognize it in anyone, even Patton. The only comfort he could give was a light hand squeeze that he hoped was understood. Other than that, there was silence.

 

Virgil didn't know what to talk about or if he should talk at all in the first place. He had questions, but other than that, he was unsure of what he should say to him. He didn't want to bombard Patton with personal questions. He knew how overwhelming it could be to answer question after question about yourself. He couldn't ask about the weather, that would be awkward, but he knew nothing about mermaids, about mermaid life. He had no idea how to make casual conversation with humans, nevermind an entirely different species.Though he felt safe and secure with Patton in that moment, his social anxiety was stronger.

 

Patton must have felt it, or maybe he just wanted to fill the silence, because he asked, “How are you?”

 

Virgil almost laughed. How was he? What a question. “I'm good. Happy.”

 

“Happy.” Patton nodded, a smile on his face. “That's good.”

 

“Yeah.” Up until this point, Virgil had restrained himself from looking at Patton too much. He didn't want to be caught staring, for obvious reasons, but when he looked down in the water to the mermaid, so close and yet so far, he couldn't bring himself to look away. Patton's smile was just that, a smile, but it took his breath away.

 

“What?” Patton finally asked when he noticed him staring.

 

“Nothing,” Virgil shook his head. “It's nothing. Just,” he paused, “What about you? You looked sad earlier. You said that humans were...forbidden?” He regretted asking as soon the smile on Patton's face faltered.

 

“Oh...yeah. We aren't supposed to talk to humans, but it's-” He smiled wider again. “It's fine. Really. I'm super happy to be here. I've wanted to see you since...” He trailed off and then spoke again. “I'm glad you're happy.”

 

Virgil felt Patton hold his hand tighter, giving him a smile that felt different than the one before. He mimicked Patton, holding his hand firmly, a reassurance he knew both of them needed. “I want you to be happy too.”

 

“I am!” Patton spoke quickly, louder than he'd been before. Then he quieted down. “I swear I am.”

 

“Okay. I believe you.” When he got no response, he looked back to the sea, listening closely to nature's sound. He jumped a little, surprised when he felt a weight against his thigh. He looked down to see Patton a little closer now, his head resting against Virgil's leg. He watched him for a moment, only the back of his head visible. Through the water, he could see the rest of Patton's body, his torso and his tail. He couldn't make out the color of his tail, but he was sure it was beautiful, just like the rest of him.

 

Virgil waited for Patton to speak again, but neither of them spoke a word. He reached up his free hand and hovered it above Patton's head, wanting to run his fingers through it. More physical contact. He instead lowered his hand back by his side. Maybe another day, if the fates aligned.

 

Eventually, their night came to an end, as it was late and neither of them could stay awake forever. Virgil tried to hold back his yawn, but it slipped out, a long, powerful one that made his body feel weak. As much as Virgil wished this night could last forever, he needed to sleep. He was only human.

 

“It's okay,” Patton spoke quietly, a light smile on his face. “You need to sleep. I don't want you to get sick.”

 

Virgil couldn't protest, as much as he wanted to. “What about you?”

 

“I need to go home.”

 

“...you have a family?” He tried to imagine what that would consist of. He knew Patton had a dad, as he mentioned earlier, but did he have siblings or, though this put a sour taste in his mouth, children and a spouse?

 

“It's just me and my dad now.”

 

Virgil could feel the implications of what he'd said laying heavy on his shoulders. “I'm sorry.”

 

“Thanks, but you don't need to be.” Patton reassured him with a quick curve of his lip, mimicking a smile. “You should go.” He held Virgil's hand even now.

 

“You're going to come back, right?” Virgil knew he sounded desperate, but he didn't care. “We're going to see each other again?”  
  


“Only if you want to.”

 

“I do.”

 

“Tomorrow then?”

 

“Tomorrow.” He nodded. “Same spot.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“I'll be waiting.”

 

“I'll be there.”

 

Virgil hadn't realized how dark it was until then. He was barely able to see Patton, the moonlight illuminating his figure just enough to know he was still there. It was quiet other than the sound of the sea and their breaths, as if they were both waiting for something else, something besides potentially empty words. “Promise me,” he said, finally.

 

Patton looked up at him, though he couldn't see the expression on his face. “I promise.”

 

There was something on the tip of Virgil's tongue, but he didn't dare say it. “I'll see you then, Patton. Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight, Virgil.”

 

And with that, Patton released his hand and he watched the mermaid disappear below the surface, his heart sitting heavy in his chest. But as the words sank into his mind, he was soon soothed by the promise of their next meeting. He waited a few minutes to be sure he couldn't hear Patton's movement in the water and then he stood up and headed for home.

 

When Virgil arrived home that night, he was expecting the same question that Logan always asked when he returned. As he thought, right when he walked through the door, Logan asked, without even looking at him, “Did you see it again today?”

 

Virgil paused a moment, suppressed his smile, and then shook his head. “No,” he lied, “but I'll try again tomorrow.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

It felt wrong lying to Logan. No, it felt more than wrong. Everything in his body was screaming at him, calling him an idiot, but he knew deep down that if he told Logan the truth, he would be pressured into asking Patton questions, asking him about mermaids, how they work, what they're like, how their societies are, and a long list of specific questions that Logan had. Virgil didn't want to do that. He wanted to enjoy his time with Patton for what it was. Patton wasn't some experiment, he was someone Virgil cared about, just as much as he did his friends.

 

So he'd lied to Logan. He told him that he hadn't seen Patton again and they went on with their lives, the same routine. Except now, Virgil was anxiously waiting for the next time he would see Patton. He had to hide it. If he wasn't careful, his excitement would show through and Logan would become suspicious. A suspicious Logan was never a good thing. He would surely find out within a few days, at most, and Virgil didn't know what would follow other than a loss of trust, maybe loss of a friend.

 

Virgil woke up early the next morning. His excitement and his nerves created a pain in his chest that made him unable to fall back asleep. Logan was already awake, on a tight schedule as usual, and when greeted with the usual 'good morning' and 'did you sleep well,' Virgil tried talking to Logan like normal, but his eyes kept drifting towards the window, to the outside. He told Logan he was going out to get a drink and swiftly left.

 

Once outside, Virgil went straight to the tavern, as he told Logan he would. He paid a fair amount for a few drinks, something that would loosen him up a bit, and then left for the rocky cliff he'd waited at many times before. He sat there, more hopeful than he'd ever been. The liquor may have been part of it, but for once he felt like things might just work out for him.

 

Some hours passed, but Virgil kept his spirits as high as possible. The sun hadn't set yet, so he had no reason to be upset. He watched where his legs dipped into the water, the small waves hitting against the rock he sat on. Just the day before, Patton was there next to him, his tail hidden beneath the surface, but there. He wondered if that's where Patton was now, waiting still where he couldn't see him, but there, always there.

 

Virgil closed his eyes and leaned his head back, exposing his skin to the light rays of the sun that reached him from under the cliff. He sat there for a while, resting his eyes, when he heard a splashing sound in the sea beside him. His eyes snapped open to see the mermaid he'd been waiting for, right there in front of him.

 

“Patton,” he breathed out, almost not believing it. Was he really that unconfident in Patton's promise?

 

“Virgil,” Patton said back, finding his way to Virgil's side. He had a smile on his face already, one that made the hours of waiting worth it. All for this one moment.

 

Patton reached his hand up to Virgil's like the day before and Virgil didn't hesitate to find his hand to hold. That pain that he'd felt in his chest disappeared completely and was replaced by a soothing warmth that only happened when he was with Patton.

 

They sat in silence again, not uncomfortable or awkward, but rather peaceful. Just their presence was enough for each other. Though Virgil was sure they both had questions or words to say to one another, the very touch of their palms pressed together was enough communication for them in the moments they'd spent together so far. Virgil didn't think of it as a bad thing, but he felt this pull he felt towards Patton, a yearning to know more about him. As much as he didn't want to poke and prod at him, he, for once, spoke his feelings.

 

“I want to know more about you,” Virgil said finally, breaking the silence.

 

The most he'd known about Patton was that he had a dad and potentially other family members who died. He remembered how Patton had said it. _'It's just me and my dad now.'_ There was something unspoken there, a story that he didn't know if Patton was ready to tell and he understood, so he wouldn't push him. Virgil didn't need to know every little detail, he just wanted something. He didn't know what possible things a mermaid could tell about their life, however long it was, how similar it was to his own, but there had to be so much to Patton that didn't know.

 

Virgil turned his head after he asked the question to look at Patton cautiously, waiting for him to speak.

 

Patton let go of Virgil's hand and, for a moment, Virgil thought he would leave again. He was ready to reach out for Patton, say he didn't need to tell him and he was stupid for saying anything in the first place, but Patton didn't leave. He rested his back against the rocks near him, letting his tail sway in the water, finally lifting ever so slightly above the surface. The tail was a blue as bright and vibrant as the sky above. It was beautiful. Perfect.

 

“What do you want to know?”

 

“Anything,” he replied without thinking. “Where you're from, your family, even your favorite color,” he paused and then repeated, “Anything.”

 

Patton looked around cautiously, as if the water and rocks themselves could eavesdrop. Then, he turned his attention to Virgil and began to speak. “I was born to two mermaids, very powerful ones. I guess you could consider them royalty. We don't have human royalty, though. There isn't a King and Queen who pass down their blood. My parents were born physically strong, the most powerful out of anyone in this ocean, so they claimed it as their own.” He looked slightly uncomfortable, not meeting Virgil's eyes, but kept going. “When I was young, someone stronger came along and...killed my mom. My dad was able to win against him in a blind rage. He hasn't really been the same since.” He took a deep breath. “I never liked the power, the instincts. I loved my parents, and my dad even now, but I like this better. The peace and quiet, somewhere away from all of it.” He sat in silence for a moment and then rubbed at his eyes, a few tears rolling down his cheeks into the water. “I'm sorry. I ruined the mood here. I didn't mean to.”

 

“It's okay to be sad,” Virgil assured him. He could tell that Patton had never been told that before by the way he bowed his head, unsure. The realization made Virgil want to reach out to comfort him, but he resisted, not sure whether giving him space or pulling him into a hug would be the best option, if it were possible.

 

After some silence, Patton stopped rubbing his eyes, sniffled, and then continued. “I know my dad wants me to get married, but I've never met someone my dad approves of that I really like. He always tells me I'm far past prime mating years and I should settle down, but...” He shrugged.

 

“How old are you?” Virgil asked, the phrase, 'prime mating years' echoing in his head.

 

Patton gave him an amused look and said, “Old,” but never gave a number.

 

“I'm 22,” Virgil told him in hopes of getting him to say his own age. “That's pretty young to humans.”

 

“If you were a mermaid, you would still be considered just a kid. But you aren't a mermaid, you're a human,” Patton said, as if reminding himself. He leaned his head back in thought. “You look around my age, but you're so much younger.”

 

“And I guess you're a lot older,” Virgil said with an almost playful grin. He sighed and his grin disappeared as he thought about his own life. “I already feel old, though. I would always think about how I would die before 25 and then I had that fight on the ship and...” He looked up at the sky and then to the sea where he could imagine his body falling from the ship. He shivered. “It feels surreal that I'm even still alive.” He glanced to Patton and saw the flash of sorrow on his face.

 

“You're alive, though. That's what matters,” he said, the sadness peering through his smile.

 

“I guess you're right.” Virgil watched him, wondering why he seemed so upset over what he'd said. “I have you to thank for that, so...thanks.” He stopped to think. “But why?”

 

“Why?” Patton asked, his head tilted in confusion.

 

“Why save me?” None of it had made sense to him since the beginning.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean,” he took a deep breath, “There's so many people in the world who have died, drowned in the ocean. I've known people who drowned during storms or committed suicide by jumping from the top of a cliff. They fall into the sea below and they don't come back. All of them, even that bastard Samuel. I saw him fall into the water and that was it. But the same thing happened to me and I...” He looked out into the distance, his vision blurred even as he blinked back his tears. “A mermaid, something that was supposed to be **fake** , comes to my rescue to save the day. Everyone else dies...except me. But why?”

 

Patton looked up at him with a frown. “I swam by and overheard what happened on the ship. I didn't think it was fair for you to die trying to protect your captain from a madman, so I...saved you. Isn't that a good thing, being lucky?” He asked quickly, sounding unsure now.

 

“Luck.” Virgil laughed bitterly. “I've never been lucky before in my life and when I thought I was, my hope came back to bite me.” He sniffled. “I was so happy when you finally came to see me, like a hole inside me was filled, that I forgot that the only reason I was trying to find you was to ask you why. The answer the whole time was luck.” His voice cracked on the last word and he rubbed at his eyes.

 

“I thought living would make you happy.” Patton spoke with a shaky voice and Virgil didn't look at him, didn't want to see what he'd made him feel.

 

“It does...I think.” He wasn't sure. “Because of you, I have things I thought I'd never find. I have friends and a home now. I haven't had any of those since I was a child.”

 

“You didn't have a home?”

 

Virgil shook his head. “Once we were kicked out of our home, we were too poor to afford anywhere but the streets. After my parents died, I lived on my own. It was...hard.” He felt strange, opening up like this to someone. He never told Logan, never told any of the people who he knew when living on the streets. Not even when he was drunk did he open up about his life, so why did it seem so easy now, when he felt broken? “I would steal what I could for food, but I didn't have much place to sleep. I always thought I'd be killed in an alley. Sometimes I wished I just wouldn't wake up.” He rubbed his hands together, keeping his eyes on anything, but Patton. He thought of Logan and Roman, the first two real friends he'd ever had and, of course, Patton, who was right in front of him. He felt there was a real connection between them. “And when I arrived here, it was like I was repeating a whole section of my life I thought I'd never have to come back to, but,” He took a deep breath, then continued, “It isn't so bad now.” He kept thinking about his luck, something he'd genuinely had the past few months, after Patton saved him from the sea and Logan did the same, pulling him off the streets. “...I guess I'm glad my wish didn't come true.”

 

Virgil didn't hear Patton say anything and when he looked over to him, he saw him shaking softly. “Sorry.” Virgil apologized this time, most of his tears now died. He just felt numb. “I didn't-” He stopped himself when Patton rushed to his side and wrapped his arms tightly around Virgil's legs. For a brief moment, Virgil's heart stopped, the worst possible scenario running through his head. All of the stories he'd heard got to him and he thought he might be the next victim to the sea monsters. Dragged to the bottom of the sea and drowned. He braced himself, waiting for his luck to have run out.

 

But nothing happened. Instead, Patton sobbed quietly against Virgil's knee, holding his legs in a tight embrace, the closest he could get to a hug without pulling Virgil down in the water with him.

 

Virgil shamed himself for thinking Patton was anything close to a monster. If there was a monster there, it was himself. He raised his hand nervously, and rested it atop Patton's head, a slight surge running through him at the new contact. “It's okay, Patton.” Using his thumb, he brushed Patton's hair from his forehead, trying to soothe him. He could hear Patton whispering “I'm sorry” over and over again and his numbness faded and was replaced by a sorrow, not for himself, but for Patton. He couldn't understand it, what he felt for Patton and even more so why Patton got so emotional over him. To a mermaid like him, Virgil should have been nobody, meant nothing, but there they were, in as close to an embrace as they could get, crying over losses and unfortunate circumstances. He let out a shaky breath, curling his fingers in Patton's hair. “I'm okay.”

 

They stayed together, as close as they could, and told each other stories, ones of both their life and those passed down through generations. Virgil avoided the ones about taking revenge against evil mermaids who'd killed their families, just as he was sure Patton did with stories that mermaids had about humans. Still, they kept each other company, happy together even through the silences until the sun set and night came.

 


End file.
